Estranged Marriage
by ardemis
Summary: Almost a year after rushing into a marriage they thought they should've been ready for, Sasuke and Sakura are still learning how to love one another again. Blank Period.
1. Playing

Just a little take on how Sasuke and Sakura fall in love and start a family. Leave a review! Critiques welcome.

 **Disclaimer:** Naruto and its characters are owned by Masashi Kishimoto. Not me. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

 **Playing**

Sakura stood there, oblivious to his inner quandary, eyes green, and lips red, slender fingers drumming the counter top. Impatient as always. Some days he hated her for all the reasons he wanted her. She was different than the rest of Konoha. No one else believed that he was truly reconciled, that he wasn't still a traitor. Without the assistance of stubborn blind faith, but Sakura had reached her conclusion through knowledge. She saw underneath his skin to the humanity he really did have, beneath all the bad blood and fresh pain and querulous frowning. She clung to it like it was all that held her to the earth. After all, if a man like him could really love, he would do it as extraordinarily and without abandon as he hated.

They were alone now, and she could flirt and tease him as she pleased, and no one would criticize her for being so incorrigible. Sakura smiled. "Aren't we wretched today? Staring out the window as if the world is on fire outside."

Sasuke hummed in response, and cast a glance at her briefly, then back to the snow assaulting the pane, and continued to outwardly ignore her.

"I mean it," she pressed, stroking his hair. "You look like you're trying to see a mile away. Having trouble with those special eyes of yours?"

Sasuke did not find this funny. He swatted her away, scowling at her mercurial humor. She was never serious, this was another thing he hated. She joked about whatever she pleased, a habit he guessed she picked up from Naruto. The both of them, always playing their stupid games, even after she began at the hospital and Naruto became the Hokage.

Darkness rose again from a corner of his brain He preferred to keep tightly under lock. He could play a game with her, he supposed. Teach her a lesson, maybe even make her cry. That would keep her out of his hair, and more importantly out of his sight, for a little while. He just had to wait for her to say the right thing.

Sakura didn't just shrug off his coldness, she embraced it as another cherished piece of him, and continued to push her luck. "Oh, don't be so reticent," she purred. "Tell me how intolerable I am, how unsavory my presence is. Just don't be sweet to me, you know I couldn't stand it after all the indifference." She was speaking loudly and melodramatically, but with a bitter edge. "Come on Sasuke, aren't I _annoying_?"

Perfect. Sasuke stood and took her hand. He rested his forehead against hers, gazing into her wide green eyes. He tilted his chin, leaned in, and kissed her. His hand clutched hers, cautious and gentle, controlled and deft as he knew she had always imagined.

Sakura pulled back and stared up at him. Years ago, as a lovelorn schoolgirl, Sakura would have been breathless, but ages of waiting had made her levelheaded. She bit her bottom lip to restrain a knowing smile. "Don't make light of me," she warned quietly, lifting her hands to his neck and massaging it affectionately. He felt her chakra, flaring from her ungodly strong fingertips, on his spine, reminding him that as a medic, she knew exactly where to apply pressure to kill him instantly, and how little she would have to apply. He wouldn't feel anything, and neither would she. "I am an adult now, not a plaything, and I wish that you would act like one too." She nipped his lower lip wantonly and stepped out of his insincere embrace. "I love you dear," she added fondly.

He could see how much she had learned. That, as much as she still desired him, she wouldn't allow herself to be hurt by him anymore, but as she walked away, he caught sight of her twisting the ring on her left hand, the way she had made a habit of doing when she was distressed.

 _Look now, you've upset your wife,_ his compassion piped up for the first time in ages. _You had best make it up to her, if you want her to play with you again,_ it pointed out to stifle his more spiteful side. He moaned inwardly.

"I love you too," he piped up. Sakura looked back at him, hands fallen limply at her sides, and smiled.

"Get away from the window, it's cold. I'll fix you something warm to drink."

Sasuke let her kiss his forehead and treat him like a spoiled child, and resolved to one day grow out of his wretchedness and deserve her for a wife. Despite not letting him hurt her, as he so often tried to do both consciously and otherwise, she would settle for whatever form of love she could get from him– romantic, platonic, or practical– with the same contentment.


	2. Invasive

**Invasive**

"Did you mean it?" she asked that night as she sat on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair.

"Hm?"

"What you said. Did you mean it, or was it just so I would forgive you?" She turned toward him to watch him answer.

"What are you implying? That I'm some kind of sad, sadistic _child_ , immature enough to emotionally torture his wife?" Sasuke looked her sharply in the eye.

Sakura giggled. "On the inside, yes."

"Sakura," he growled.

"Sasuke." She met his glare. " _Did you mean it?_ " Her voice faltered unintentionally with nervousness

"Aa," he mumbled out and nodded, unable to meet her gaze as he felt his ears grow red.

"You know everyone thinks we despise each other. They think I married you because Naruto asked me to. Hokage's orders," she whispered.

He shrugged. "And you know how much I like everyone else to be wrong."

She nodded with a small smile. "How long has it been?" she asked. "Since the wedding." Time, for Sakura, had become a blissful daze. Being married to Sasuke, whether he loved her or tolerated her, _was_ her life's dream come to fruition and her days and nights blurred together in sheer disbelief of it.

"Nine months," he responded, although he knew it had been exactly nine months, eleven days, and sixteen hours. He was grounded enough to count the time that she had been cosseting and confusing him.

"Nine months," she repeated. "That's why I've been getting all those weird messages from Naruto."

"Messages about what?" Sasuke asked.

"Nothing really, they were all awkward and unfinished. 'We need to talk about…' 'The village has been talking…' It was like he didn't want to say it."

"Say what?" Sauske was curious now.

"Sasuke, it's been nine months, and I'm not bowling over pregnant. Konoha is expecting an Uchiha heir."

His eyebrows knitted together in irritation. "Sakura… if this is supposed to be payback for this morning, it's not funny. I told you I meant it."

"I know you did. Do you think I'm happy about this? You think I want to be forced to have your baby? When we're just now learning to live with each other? We haven't even– What I'm saying is that this is why they're keeping you. If it weren't for your kekkei genkai, would they ever have welcomed you back?"

"The sharingan…" Sasuke frowned. "We're going to see Naruto."

Sakura stood in her pajamas, on the doorstep of the Hokage's house, with her face in her hands, while her husband pounded furiously on the door. "Naruto! Get out here, you idiot!"

The door swung open, revealing the bleary eyed nanadaime. Naruto was clad in only a pair of orange pajama bottoms, his blonde hair in even worse condition than usual. His wife's pale eyes peaked out from over his shoulder. "Ah, what do you want, bastard? Can't it wait until morning?"

"I don't think so! Care to tell me what all this is about an 'Uchiha heir'?" Sasuke demanded loudly. Wailing emanated from inside the house.

"Ah, Hinata," Naruto said, turning to the woman behind him. Hinata nodded and went back inside to check on the baby. "See what you did, bastard? Now we'll be up all night no matter what." Naruto sighed. "Come inside."

Naruto showed them to the living room and took a seat facing the couch they were on. "What can I do for you?" he asked, all professionalism.

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "You can tell me why, apparently, everyone in Konoha is waiting for us to have a child."

Naruto laughed. "Well, for starters, you're young and married and it would only be natural, joyous even, to expect that you two would be…" He grinned and scratched his nose. "I don't have to explain it to you do I? You must have learned _something_ from Kakashi-sensei."

Sasuke only glared at him. "That is not what I meant."

"Alright, alright, you got me. It's not complicated Sasuke, you're the last– we hope– of a very prominent blood line, with a very powerful dojutsu. It's only reasonable that, for the prosperity of the village, it's hoped that you would carry on that lineage."

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard," he grumbled.

Naruto's hands went up in defense. "Hey, it didn't come from me. There are councils, other clans, the village's reputation and safety to uphold. That's why I was so hesitant to contact Sakura about all of it."

"Why didn't you contact me with such an imbecilic idea? Doesn't this affect me too?"

Naruto laughed again, nervously this time. "It's just that Sakura tends to be a bit more _agreeable_. And much better at talking to you."

"And what if I don't want to?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto looked at him, perplexed by that response. "I can't see why you wouldn't. You two love each other, don't you?" Sasuke didn't answer. Naruto looked at Sakura for the first time, she was looking down and blushing. Realization dawned on him.

"Tea, anyone?" Hinata reentered the room, holding a tray of full tea cups in one arm and her one month old son in the other. She placed the tray on the table between them. Naruto took the baby from her hands. He was sound asleep once again.

"Hinata you're a genius," he mused, rocking the child gently. She blushed and hid behind her long black hair, after all these years, still unable to unabashedly take a compliment from Naruto.

"He's beautiful," Sakura said. "I haven't seen him since he was born."

"Sakura, would you like to hold him?" he asked. Sakura nodded and Naruto handed him over carefully.

"Oh," she cooed as little Boruto was placed in her arms. "Naruto he looks like you, when you were little."

Sasuke watched her tenderly watching the child, whispering her finger down his round cheek, and it came upon him that she had lied to him. Lied about not wanting to have his baby. It was all an excuse. She was resigned to not being a mother, but she was in no way happy about it.

"What seems to be the problem?" Hinata asked kindly.

"I'll tell you what the problem is," Naruto said in disbelief, gesturing to the couple wildly. "They haven't _done it_ yet!"

* * *

 **A/N** Naruto is fun to write ^^ more of him next chapter


	3. Sleepless

**Sleepless**

"I can't believe you haven't done it! It's been almost a year! Sasuke I knew you were cold, but that is just plain weird!" Naruto threw basic hysterics, waking his son again.

Sakura's smiled faltered and her cheeks burned. Sasuke was up and on the offensive, though why he was so fervent about something like this, no one in the room could understand.

"What are you saying, idiot?" Sasuke hissed through clenched teeth.

"It wasn't hard to guess from the looks on your faces," Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "Why haven't you done it anyway? What is there something wrong with you?"

"You moron, I'll kill you!" Sasuke, unable to grab him by the shirt, grabbed Naruto's bare arm and hauled him up to eye level.

"Sasuke! Sit. Down." Sakura ground out. "You're overreacting. Boys," she said to Hinata with apologetic laughter, handing over her crying child. Sasuke, unable to completely let go of the insult to his masculine pride, released Naruto's arm, but remained standing. "I'm sorry, Naruto. You have to understand, he came here looking for a fight. As far as _that_ goes, the marriage happened in a huge rush and we're still getting acclimated to one another." She knew all this wasn't entirely true, but she didn't know how to explain the state of their relationship, that they didn't have much of an idea how they felt about each other. They hadn't had the time to figure that out.

"When you agreed to marry him, you didn't say that you would need all this time to get acclimated," Naruto murmured.

"Well you didn't mention that you would start sending me awkward half messages if I failed to get pregnant right off the bat," she retorted.

Sasuke spoke up. "Naruto, when you proposed that I get married, you said it was for the people of Konoha, so they would accept that my loyalty was here, but you never said that I'd have to pass on my blood for the 'prosperity of the village'."

Naruto squirmed. "Well honestly, when you told me you wanted to marry Sakura because she 'wouldn't bother you' I didn't have much hope. But after all this time, you hadn't killed each other, and the other clans started pressuring me about why she hadn't already given birth…"

"Have they forgotten that the Sharingan is dangerous?" Sasuke seethed. "That it was because of the Sharingan that my clan was destroyed in the first place? And now they want me to build a new clan for them to tear down?" Sasuke's eyes flared as though he might active it right there, but they remained their usual black.

"Sasuke," Sakura began.

"It should be my decision if I want to bring a child into this world," he ground out, after a pause he amended his statement. "Our decision. It's not the place of the Aburames, or the Akimichis or least of all _your_ father-in-law to determine when or if I create a family with _my wife_." Sakura's ears perked up at the phrase.

"I understand," Naruto said. "No one's forcing you. Let's forget about the heir business for now. Out of curiosity, how do you manage to live together for all those months and not… I mean…" Naruto glanced at Hinata, making her blush.

"Our relationship is more intellectual at this stage," Sakura said with a small laugh. Intellectual was the right word for it. Intellectual cat and mouse. She would provoke him, he would retreat into his shell, she would keep at it, and the cycle began again. There wasn't much time for love making in the midst of just trying to figure out if they were allowed to enjoy the result their hasty nuptials. In fact, the kiss today was the first indicator of any kind of physical relationship since before their marriage was arranged.

" _Do_ you love each other?" Naruto asked. "Do you even like each other?"

Sasuke crossed his arms, refusing to answer. "Of course we do," Sakura responded slowly and unconvincingly. "On good days." He glared at her, clearly conveying that he was uncofortable with the idiot's prying into their business.

"Okay," Naruto said dubiously. "Well I hope you two learn to… get along. But for now, maybe it's best you head home."

"Come on Sakura," Sasuke said quickly.

As Sakura rose to follow Sasuke, Hinata, who hadn't said much either way on the subject, smiled knowingly and caught her by the arm. With a conspiratorial tone, she whispered to her, "Hang in there Sakura. If it's possible to get through Naruto's skull, it's possible to get through Sasuke's shell."

Strangely comforted by this, Sakura smiled back. "Thank you, Hinata."

Lying in bed that night was an especially estranged experience. They both stayed rigidly on their side, and Sasuke kicked all the blankets off himself to her, complaining about being overheated, though she knew he was always ice cold. Sakura lay there awake for hours, though she had work at the hospital in the morning, thinking about their wedding.

It was the middle of March, in the miserable part of winter when everyone was just hoping for it to end. Naruto called Sakura out of work to his office. When she arrived she was surprised to see Sasuke sitting beside him.

She hadn't seen him often since his return to the village from his journey for repentance. When he came to the hospital for training injuries, sometimes he lingered until she left work to walk with her home. All their interactions were brief and polite but uncomfortable, like they were forcing themselves to pick up where they had left off. There was an unacknowledged and gruesome history between them now— betrayal, abandonment, attempts on their lives from both sides, years of anger and regret. Neither of them held any grudges, but the warmth between when he promised her a next time had dried up while he was away. And they realized they were now strangers, trying to be lovers.

"Sakura I have a favor to ask you." It was still strange then to hear Naruto being professional. Even in his Hokage's robes, he was still the same rude little boy to her.

"What is it?"

"You know that Sasuke's been training in secret for a long time now, to enter the ANBU," he said.

"Yes." She nodded. What did she have to do with his training? Aside from confidentially healing occasional wounds per Naruto's request, so the nature of it could remain unknown, she had no part in it. And he didn't seem to be wounded.

"Well, I was perfectly ready to admit him. I have been for a while, but it seems it's not up to me, solely. Not this time anyway."

"I don't understand what I have to do with this," she said.

Naruto sighed. "We've experience some concern from certain members of the ANBU. They insist that it's a bad idea to enlist Sasuke into the division, because of his… history with the village. I told them they were dead wrong of course, but they won't let it go. They claim that Sasuke has no reason to remain faithful to Konoha, seeing as he has no family, or social life, or-"

"Get to the point," Sasuke grumbled.

"Wife," Naruto finished.

"I'm sorry?" Sakura looked confused.

"I can't put Sasuke on a team where his teammates feel as though they can't trust him. I can't get around it. In order for Sasuke to join the ANBU he has to get married, which he has agreed to do, on one condition."

"And what's that?" she asked, positive she didn't want to know.

"That he marry you," Naruto said.

Sakura didn't know what to say to that. This could not be happening. Uchiha Sasuke wanted to marry her. It was to get into the ANBU, but it could have been anyone, and he chose her. Only one question came to mind.

"Why?" Sasuke said nothing.

"I told him it could be any girl who would have him," Naruto replied for him. "I gave him time to think about it. Weeks. And he came back demanding you. I asked why, and he said that he 'didn't entirely dislike you.' And that he couldn't say the same for any other girl in the village."

"Sasuke," she said, sounding touched. "I don't entirely dislike you either."

"So you'll do it?" Naruto seemed relieved.

Sakura thought about all his attempts to do right by her. Awkward, but persistent. It wasnt as though she had helped much in getting reaccquainted, hung up sorting her own ancient feelings. Maybe this was a step in the right direction for them. It was obvious they both wanted to be together. It was certainly possible that if they acted like lovers, they would start to feel like lovers with time.

She took a deep breath to ground herself. "I will. But I have a condition too."

Naruto looked as though he had had enough of stubborn ninjas' conditions. "What is it?" he moaned.

"Sasuke has to ask me."

Sasuke scowled. Naruto narrowed his eyes at him. "You heard her, bastard. You already have your answer. All you have to do is ask."

His eyes swam with emotions from fear to embarrasment. "Sakura," he began.

"Stand up," she commanded, _act like lovers_.

Sasuke raised to his feet and took one step toward her. "Sakura," he tried again.

"Excuse me, what's my name?" she prompted him.

He sighed, trying to get this mess of a proposal over with. "Haruno Sakura," he paused to see if she would interrupt him again. She just smiled approvingly. "Would you… please, be my wife?"

Her green eyes gleamed. "Yes Uchiha Sasuke, I will."

The ceremony itself took place barely two weeks later. It was very intimate. The only ones in attendance were Sakura's family, Kakashi, Tsunade, and Hinata. Naruto officiated. Sakura wore the same elegant white kimono Hinata had worn at her wedding. It was now early April and the cherry trees were in full bloom. Sakura could not stop silently wondering at how perfectly that bit had worked out. At a small outdoor Shinto shrine, with pink petals glittering down around them and their few guests, they said their vows and were wed. Nothing prepared, nothing fantastic, just the tiny April wedding that twelve-year-old Sakura had always dreamed of.

They chose not to have a reception afterward, since Sasuke found celebration tiresome, and Sakura found it out of place. This was not the kind of wedding you celebrated, not if you knew why it was happening. After the proceedings they went home, back to the Uchiha compound, and slept.

It was strange for Sakura to get used to living in the estate. The red and white Uchiha insignia was emblazoned on doors and walls and silverware, and it even hung on an ornate banner above their bed. It was on most of Sasuke's clothes and before long, it began to find its way onto hers as well. A constant reminder of the former glory that once resided there, before it was reduced to just one man. This whole compound, which once housed an entire clan, now belonged to just the two of them, though they stayed only in the main house. It was foreboding, and lonesome to have so much room. For the first few months, when Sakura wasn't working, in or out of the house, she would sit by the big window and watch the cherry trees that grew beside the high rock walls of the estate. She did that all summer, especially so when Sasuke was away on ANBU missions without her, even though after a week or so the blossoms had passed and the trees seemed tired and hopeless.

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 **A/N:** probably my favorite chapter so far. they might be closer to a happy ending than Sakura thinks...


	4. Trouble

**Trouble**

Sakura tended to her patients at the hospital, aching for her shift to end. She couldn't shake from her brain what Sasuke had said last night. It wasn't that she had expected to have kids, but she had never thought he would be so aggressively opposed to it. She supposed it made sense that he would be afraid to build a family. He had lost so much family. The risk seemed to outweigh the reward.

But she didn't care what Naruto said, or what the village said, she would stand by Sasuke's decision whatever that may be. She certainly wasn't going to push him. If he was ever going to come around, he would do it much faster taking his own sweet time than he ever would feeling forced. And if he never came around at all then she would have bothered him about one less thing.

Sakura came home, greeted by a painful grip on her arm. Sasuke whirled her around and slammed her against the wall. Her head banged against it hard enough to make her dizzy and turn her vision white for a few seconds. He had probably expected her to brace herself and not flail her head back like a rag doll, but then she hadn't expected him to ambush her as she walked in the door.

"Uchiha Sakura, you are in so much trouble," he growled from deep in his chest.

In her blurred state of mind the only words that managed to get through were Uchiha Sakura. This was her legal married name. But this was a name for her that Sasuke never had used. She was used to being called Uchiha Sakura at the hospital, and at mission assignments, and shops in town. She was used to signing it on documents. It was official. Factual. But he said it like an endearment.

"U-Uchiha?" she murmured hazily.

"Didn't you hear me?" he smirked devilishly. "I said you're in a lot of trouble."

"And what, may I ask, for?"

"You never told me that you wanted to have my children," he said huskily.

She was confused by this, but she replied with "Oh, but I must have, when we were little."

He grunted angrily, pushing away memories of the aggravatingly innocent pink haired little girl asking to play house with him. "But you haven't said anything recently. Why?"

"You didn't seem interested in letting me," she told him.

He squeezed her arm tighter, his focused serious eyes sobering her out of her dazed state. "It's always been you Sakura. How could I trust my clan… my family to anyone but you?"

"So you do want to have a baby with me?" she inquired, the shivers in her spine wearing on her senses, just as they had come back to her.

"I married you, didn't I?" He smirked at her speechlessness. "Why not you? You would be the perfect mother. You're strong, athletic. You have wide hips, innate nurturing skills, pretty eyes."

"What?" That last comment caught her unaware.

"Imagine Uchihas with green eyes like yours. That would be a sight." His expression was fervent and hungry.

"Sasuke…"

"I told the truth when I said I love you," he said. "We dont have to have a family right now. But we've been strangers in our own home, living like we weren't both hoping for more. Why would you agree to marry me if you didn't think that could happen?"

"Selfish reasons," she replied. "You know why I said yes... I was glad that you could be in the Black Ops, but I did it for one reason. So that I could call myself your wife. So that I could have you even if I didn't have you."

A soft chuckle rises in his throat. "Damn Sakura who knew you were so dismal?"

"But look where we are now..."

She meant it figuratively of course, but Sasuke paused and took in his surroundings. He realized that he was still clenching Sakura's upper arm in his fingers. He released her and positioned his hand flat against the wall beside her body. He angled his head down to the crook of her neck and ran his nose over her pale white skin. She shuddered. He inhaled her sweet scent. Like cherries, he thought to himself before finding it ridiculous and dismissing it with a laugh. It wasn't cherries but it was Sakura. Her own personal sweetness.

Sasuke closed his eyes and lifted his lips to hers, pushing her with his mouth and his body further back into the wall. He kissed her until the only thing holding her up was his chest pinning her to the wall, and her hands dissolved into his hair. Her eyes finally, reluctantly fluttered shut, not willing to miss a second of his expression.

When he let go of her lips, Sakura inhaled for what seemed like forever. "Sasuke if this is another sick joke, I swear I'll kill you this time no one will miss you," she whispered.

"Not a joke." He shook his head. "Pretty eyes. Kiss me." Sasuke inclined his face toward hers, with lips searching again.

There was urgent knocking on their door. Sasuke grumbled and slumped against Sakura, kissing her neck stubbornly. "Sasuke, there's someone at the door," she said.

"No there isn't," he muttered.

People didn't visit their house often, only when there was a problem. "Somebody could be in trouble," she insisted.

"It's probably something stupid," he countered, lingering on her collarbone.

"I have to get the door," she groaned, trying to push him away, and failing almost deliberately.

He held her fast in place.

Sakura slid her hands down to his waist, tugging at the hem of his tight pants. "If you don't let me go, I'll make sure you never 'restore your clan,'" she threatened.

He slowly lifted his mouth to her ear. "You are so evil," he whispered, biting her ear gently. Her whole body tensed. Sasuke rolled off her and went for the door. She stood still there for a moment, watching him walk away, and whined at the interruption. If he thought he was angry, imagine how she felt. She had only been praying for this minute her entire life. She followed him to the threshold.

"We're busy," was the first thing Sasuke said as he pulled the door open.

Shikamaru stood on the porch, bearing the full brunt of Sasuke's death glare with his usual bored expression. "Yeah, I've got things to do too, but the Hokage still thinks it's okay to use me as his errand boy," he sighed woefully.

"Oh this had better be good." The irritation in Sasuke's voice rising at the mention of the Idiot.

"Look, Naruto just wanted me to tell you that he wants you two to in his office immediately." Sasuke looked unimpressed by the news. "Don't shoot the messenger," Shikamaru said dryly. With that he turned and ambled down their front steps and out of sight.

Sasuke stood there, discerning, while Sakura cursed under her breath. After a few minutes he turned to her with a smirk and said "Come on Sakura, I think it's your turn to try to murder Naruto."

* * *

 **AN:** Welcome to my TED Talk: Naruto thinks he's a wingman but he's actually a total cockblock.


	5. Brief

"Naruto!" Sakura wailed as the couple entered his office, green glinting dangerously from her narrowed eyes. "You had better have a fantastic reason for calling us here."

"You know you two would be a lot less angry if you let off some steam with each other every once in a while," he remarked. "Sex can be very relaxing. Hinata likes to light these candles that smell like cinnamon, and afterwards she makes instant ramen and lets me eat it in bed." Naruto flinched at the hollow thunk of three kunai embedding themselves in the wall behind him, narrowly missing his face.

Sakura stalked toward Naruto and leaned menacingly over his desk. "You cannot comprehend how steamed I am right now," she hissed in his ear.

"Heheh… what's wrong with her?" He directed his question at Sasuke, looking nervous.

He shrugged. "Beats me. But don't speak around her Naruto, you know how she hates it," he advised.

Naruto felt his windpipe being squeezed shut by one of her strong hands. "So what are we here for, Lord Seventh?" she asked threateningly.

"S-Sand," Naruto choked out. "Mission."

"A mission to Sand?" Sakura reluctantly let go of his neck, waiting to hear the rest. He nodded, tugging his collar for more air.

"Temari needs back up for her return. There's going to be a festival in Sunagakure for Gaara's anniversary this week."

"What's so dangerous about a party for Gaara? Worried people will die of boredom?" Sakura rolled her eyes.

"If I was worried about party quality I wouldn't send Sasuke to liven it up," he shot back. "This is a real mission. An A class mission. Potential assassination."

"Of the Kazekage?" Sakura asked.

"What? No, who would be stupid enough to attack Gaara?" Naruto slouched in his chair and fidgeting with his hands. "Temari."

Sasuke took Sakura's wrist pulling her back from Naruto's face. "Why is Temari in danger, who's after her?"

"There's been hints from Gaara," Naruto said, " that she's not entirely welcome in Sand since she was married. There's some question in their village about where her loyalty lies. He's concerned that spiteful shinobi may take the festival as an opportunity to attack his sister."

Sasuke scowled. "Temari is likely the best kunoichi from her village. Why does she need a protection detail? She can take care of herself can't she?"

"Well, it's not just Temari you'll be transporting, she has… some cargo with her." Naruto shuffled the papers on his desk, keeping his eyes busy.

Sakura crossed her arms. "Naruto you're acting cryptic again. What's going on?"

"She's pregnant," Naruto blurted out. Sasuke looked away. Sakura's brow furrowed, her face started to feel hot. "Only a few weeks. She's dead set on going for Gaara's celebration but the risk..."

"Why us?" she complained. "Why doesn't Shikamaru just go with her?"

"Because Shikamaru would be in danger too. Besides I need him here and I know how he feels to have to sit this one out. We need a medic nin, in case something unexpected happens."

"Can't you just send any medic nin?" Sakura whined.

"Only the best for our friends in Suna," Naruto said with a grin.

"Why do I have to go?" Sasuke asked. Sakura whirled around and glared at him, before Naruto could get a word in.

"Oh, you're going. Do you think for a second that you can sit at home in the peace and quiet while I have to go to Sand for a week? After what you said to me today?" Sakura barked, her face burning. "You're coming. You'll be at my side every waking minute. When do we leave, Naruto?" She whipped back around to face him.

"Tonight would be ideal," he squeaked.

Sakura frowned. "Fine. Come on Sasuke."

At home they started to gather their things. Sakura angrily packed her bag, and Sasuke slung the pack containing his few necessary belongings over his shoulder. "Sakura, it's just a mission."

"Its not just a mission." She sighed. "It's a mission to protect an entire family when we can't even get started with our own."

"We could get it started right now," he suggested, nodding toward the bed.

"Sasuke, if I get into bed with you do you think I'm ever going to leave?" She took a step closer, standing chest to chest with him, looking up into his eyes, and expecting an answer.

This time his cheeks were tinged pink as he met her shameless gaze. "Nevermind, let's go pick up Temari."

Their walk to the Nara house was slow, but not made intolerable from the silence that so frequently hung between them. They talked about the night, just weeks after he had come back, when Sasuke had obliged to pick her up and walk her home from work for the first time. Since it was late, and Naruto had been recently married and was always busy Sasuke was elected to escort her, by their too protective(or maybe too pushy) best friend.

"She works too hard so she might fall asleep on the way to her house," Naruto had warned him. "On a double shift she'll deplete nearly all her chakra just to keep up with demand. If she passes out, just carry her home and put her to bed."

Sasuke, of course, wasn't listening, and when she did fall asleep, astoundingly in the middle of a sentence, he was so surprised that he let her fall, right there on the ground. After staring at her body for a minute, and wondering fleetingly if she had died or if he should just go– no one would believe him if he said he hadn't killed her– he checked her pulse and carried her all the way home to her bed. She woke up the next morning with a particularly large bruise coloring her forehead.

"I can't believe you just let me fall!" She teased.

"I didn't expect you to work yourself to the point of fainting!" he defended himself.

"Well you should have," she told him with a shrug.

She was right. That was exactly the kind of thing Sakura would do. He laughed at how careless she was with herself, when she put so much effort into caring for others.

When they reached the road where Shikamaru and Temari lived, Sakura couldn't ignore the unspoken tension anymore. "I'm sorry," she said.

"It's not your fault," he replied.

"I still feel bad," she murmured. "I wanted this just as bad as you."

"Probably worse." He smirked, and reached up to knock on the door.

The couple came outside in the lamplight. Temari said good evening. Shikamaru greeted them both with a short "Uchiha," looking tense around the eyes. Being on edge didn't suit Shikamaru, but if that's what he was he did a good job of repressing it. "Must be a special occasion to have both of you on the job."

Sakura, ever the comforter, promised, "We'll take good care of her."

He let out a half hearted laugh. "I'm sure she'll be fine, just take care of my son."

"They could be a daughter," Temari scolded, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Yeah yeah." He squeezed her waist slightly. "Both of you come home soon."

Sasuke and Sakura both looked up from their feet. "Ready to go?" Sasuke asked.


End file.
